wanderwoman
Tiger Shark
- First Name
- Jennifer
This was a great, if c-c-c-cold, weekend. Thanks Siren and 24% for organizing it! Great to see y'all again.
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2nd Sunday w/ CHUM
Join us for 2nd Sunday with CHUM on May 10th at 10:00am CT on Bowling Beach at Blue Lagoon! More details at this link. -
CHUM stickers are here! Put one on your scuba tank, your gear box, your car, your forehead. See a club officer to get yours.
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Become a full fledged CHUM member by paying only $35/year to become a Tiger Shark, pay for trips or even pick up an extra CHUM T-shirt or CHUM patch here: CHUM Payments.
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For CHUM's list of greater Houston area dive shops, dive sites, and dive charter operators see this link.
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CHUM - Houston's SCUBA Club is the sponsor of the Texas SCUBA Diver license plate. Get yours at MyPlates.com!
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Stream2Sea! Great products that are good for humans and the reef. Use the affiliate link below or check out with coupon code “chumrocks” and get 10% off your purchase. Click this CHUM affiliate link to order your products.
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Follow CHUM on these platforms to keep up with what the club has going on Facebook, Instagram, Scubaboard, and YouTube.
And for Texas Dive Plates: TDP Facebook and TDP Instagram.
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Questions, suggestions, want to lead a CHUM trip or learn about the CHUM officers? Contact us: Your CHUM Board of Directors.
CHUM Claims the Comal 2018 - Trip Report
- Thread starter wanderwoman
- Start date
Heidi Ho
CHUM Fan
- First Name
- Holly
yes, it was wonderful and as always, the Comal weekend is different each year. There's always a story to tell. Here's the gallery where we can post all the pictures we took - I love seeing them.
And yes, double thanks to Siren and 24% for not only julieing this event, but sharing their home with us.
And yes, double thanks to Siren and 24% for not only julieing this event, but sharing their home with us.
Siren
Tiger Shark
- First Name
- Amanda
2018 CHUM CLAIMS THE COMAL TRIP REPORT
What a lovely, albeit chilly weekend we shared at CHUM's 14th annual CHUM Claims the Comal trip. The air was cooler and the group was smaller than in year's past, but it ended up being the perfect balance.
Seaagg05 was the first to arrive on Friday afternoon. He rented a really nice travel trailer for the weekend, and was glad none of us were there to watch him set it up (apparently it took some time).
hehe...Volans & Vivie were the next to arrive and set up their tent. Wanderwoman showed up by 5pm, and 24%, me, and Heidi Ho filled out the group at 6pm. After gathering at the campground and getting set up, we all drove into town and had dinner at the Phoenix Saloon. We were lucky enough to be there for sound check for the night's band performance. Ahem. The microphones and speakers worked too well. We all left by 9:30pm, a little after the performance started. Back at the campground, we got out our chairs and continued good conversation. Reefhound & Watermonkee arrived after 10pm and joined us for some libations and chocolate chip cookies. The wind picked up by 1am signaling the storm getting closer. Ironically, it only rained for about 10 minutes - the EXACT 10 minutes Reefhound & Watermonkee used to set up their tent. We were just on the edge of the storm and were very lucky we didn't get more rain.
Saturday morning was ch-ch-ch-chilly, with temps in the low 40's. We drank warm coffee and geared up for our April DAM CHUM dive. Only four of us chose to dive - Seaagg05, wanderwoman, 24%, and me. We dreaded getting into the water, but were very surprised to find the water substantially warmer than the air. We began the dive a little after 11am, and dove to the tube chute. We had the foresight to park Seaagg05's truck at Prince Solms Park, so that we had a ride back to Landa RV Park. The dive was quite good. Our computers said 40 minutes underwater with 71 degree temps, max depth 13 feet. We all agreed that we've never seen so many fish in the Comal - there were tons - mostly perch, some of the biggest bass we've seen there, and lots of big daddy crawfish!! Oh, and a HUGE plecostomus that scared the bajeebers out of 24%!! I took some photos underwater and got a few good videos of the crawfish. We found a few tent stakes in the water, a few golf balls, 24% claimed 2 unopened gatorades and a pair of goggles. My favorite find was a Lee Press On Nail for a thumb - French Manicure. Very nice. Ew. haha...As warm as the water was while we were diving, getting out of the water was C-O-L-D!!! When we were briskly walking over the tube chute trying to make it to Seaagg05's warm truck, 24% and I were approached by 2 older spanish speaking ladies that wanted to look at us and study our gear. One of them was a scuba diver, and she was explaining to the other lady what each piece of gear did. We stood there and shivered letting them look us over, posed for a few pictures, and then ran up the steps to find warmth in the truck.
Back at the campground, we found Heidi Ho, Watermonkee, and ReefHound hanging out in the motorhome enjoying the heater. Volans & Vivie had left for Pedernales State Park to go hiking and biking. Diver_T drove in from Houston Saturday morning to join us for the weekend! What a fun surprise. We assembled our dive gear drying rack and dunked everything in Sink the Stink. After a few warm showers, and Reefhound's second nap of the day, we all drove into town for lunch at Taqueria el Tapatio. Yummy! We spent the afternoon inside the motorhome, talking, laughing, and being warm.
The winds made it feel cooler than the already cold 50 degrees. Once Volans & Vivie got back, the winds had died down, and a few of the CHUMmers made a grocery store run for some hamburger meat and fixins, while the rest of us set up camp tables, the grill, the big awning with lights, and the firepit for the Circle'o'CHUM. 24% was the evening's grillmaster. Menu consisted of hamburgers and hot dogs and Heidi Ho's little wieners, a tomato & corn salad, potato salad, mac'n'cheese, chips, and frito pie! Chocolate chip cookie sandwiches and s'mores for dessert!!! Heidi Ho brought her high finagled marshmallow roasters and taught Vivie how to roast her first marshmallow over the fire pit. What a sweet memory. Seaagg05 surprised 24% and me by calling an "official" CHUM ceremony to order, and whipped out our 2nd Year DAM CHUM Hats from underneath his coat. We posed for pictures as he presented us with our swag. We were touched that you made such a big deal out of it....thank you for that.
The evening carried on well into the night, and the colder it got, the more sweatshirts and blankets CHUM bundled up in. Everyone wore themselves out, and headed to bed. Seaagg05 was kind enough to take pity on Reefhound & Watermonkee and let them sleep in the extra beds inside his travel trailer. We all were thankful that he rented it for the weekend, for the extra beds, and the extra fridge space. Way to go, Seaagg05 - you set a high precedent for your first CHUM Claims the Comal weekend. Don't be surprised if we all want you to do it again next year. hehehe....
Sunday morning was the typical break down camp routine followed by breakfast before leaving town. Our favorite Sunday morning choice, Fork & Spoon, had a 45 minute wait, so we decided to head over to Ihop across the street. A warm breakfast was exactly what everyone needed. Vivie ate cupcake pancakes that she said tasted like birthday cake; Volans and I might have ordered chocolate chips in our pancakes as well, but nobody can prove it.
Thank you everyone for making the weekend so much fun, and for being such good sports about the chilly weather. This has always been one of my favorite weekends of the year, and this year lived up to those high expectations. I can't believe this was the 10th time I julied this annual trip!!!
.....and the best news is next year's campsites should only be $20 a night since we will be going before Easter. That is HALF-PRICE fun!!! Tentative dates for next year: April 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2019!!!
What a lovely, albeit chilly weekend we shared at CHUM's 14th annual CHUM Claims the Comal trip. The air was cooler and the group was smaller than in year's past, but it ended up being the perfect balance.
Seaagg05 was the first to arrive on Friday afternoon. He rented a really nice travel trailer for the weekend, and was glad none of us were there to watch him set it up (apparently it took some time).
hehe...Volans & Vivie were the next to arrive and set up their tent. Wanderwoman showed up by 5pm, and 24%, me, and Heidi Ho filled out the group at 6pm. After gathering at the campground and getting set up, we all drove into town and had dinner at the Phoenix Saloon. We were lucky enough to be there for sound check for the night's band performance. Ahem. The microphones and speakers worked too well. We all left by 9:30pm, a little after the performance started. Back at the campground, we got out our chairs and continued good conversation. Reefhound & Watermonkee arrived after 10pm and joined us for some libations and chocolate chip cookies. The wind picked up by 1am signaling the storm getting closer. Ironically, it only rained for about 10 minutes - the EXACT 10 minutes Reefhound & Watermonkee used to set up their tent. We were just on the edge of the storm and were very lucky we didn't get more rain.Saturday morning was ch-ch-ch-chilly, with temps in the low 40's. We drank warm coffee and geared up for our April DAM CHUM dive. Only four of us chose to dive - Seaagg05, wanderwoman, 24%, and me. We dreaded getting into the water, but were very surprised to find the water substantially warmer than the air. We began the dive a little after 11am, and dove to the tube chute. We had the foresight to park Seaagg05's truck at Prince Solms Park, so that we had a ride back to Landa RV Park. The dive was quite good. Our computers said 40 minutes underwater with 71 degree temps, max depth 13 feet. We all agreed that we've never seen so many fish in the Comal - there were tons - mostly perch, some of the biggest bass we've seen there, and lots of big daddy crawfish!! Oh, and a HUGE plecostomus that scared the bajeebers out of 24%!!
I took some photos underwater and got a few good videos of the crawfish. We found a few tent stakes in the water, a few golf balls, 24% claimed 2 unopened gatorades and a pair of goggles. My favorite find was a Lee Press On Nail for a thumb - French Manicure. Very nice. Ew. haha...As warm as the water was while we were diving, getting out of the water was C-O-L-D!!! When we were briskly walking over the tube chute trying to make it to Seaagg05's warm truck, 24% and I were approached by 2 older spanish speaking ladies that wanted to look at us and study our gear. One of them was a scuba diver, and she was explaining to the other lady what each piece of gear did. We stood there and shivered letting them look us over, posed for a few pictures, and then ran up the steps to find warmth in the truck.Back at the campground, we found Heidi Ho, Watermonkee, and ReefHound hanging out in the motorhome enjoying the heater. Volans & Vivie had left for Pedernales State Park to go hiking and biking. Diver_T drove in from Houston Saturday morning to join us for the weekend! What a fun surprise. We assembled our dive gear drying rack and dunked everything in Sink the Stink. After a few warm showers, and Reefhound's second nap of the day, we all drove into town for lunch at Taqueria el Tapatio. Yummy! We spent the afternoon inside the motorhome, talking, laughing, and being warm.
The winds made it feel cooler than the already cold 50 degrees. Once Volans & Vivie got back, the winds had died down, and a few of the CHUMmers made a grocery store run for some hamburger meat and fixins, while the rest of us set up camp tables, the grill, the big awning with lights, and the firepit for the Circle'o'CHUM. 24% was the evening's grillmaster. Menu consisted of hamburgers and hot dogs and Heidi Ho's little wieners, a tomato & corn salad, potato salad, mac'n'cheese, chips, and frito pie! Chocolate chip cookie sandwiches and s'mores for dessert!!! Heidi Ho brought her high finagled marshmallow roasters and taught Vivie how to roast her first marshmallow over the fire pit. What a sweet memory.
Seaagg05 surprised 24% and me by calling an "official" CHUM ceremony to order, and whipped out our 2nd Year DAM CHUM Hats from underneath his coat. We posed for pictures as he presented us with our swag. We were touched that you made such a big deal out of it....thank you for that. The evening carried on well into the night, and the colder it got, the more sweatshirts and blankets CHUM bundled up in. Everyone wore themselves out, and headed to bed. Seaagg05 was kind enough to take pity on Reefhound & Watermonkee and let them sleep in the extra beds inside his travel trailer. We all were thankful that he rented it for the weekend, for the extra beds, and the extra fridge space.
Way to go, Seaagg05 - you set a high precedent for your first CHUM Claims the Comal weekend. Don't be surprised if we all want you to do it again next year. hehehe....Sunday morning was the typical break down camp routine followed by breakfast before leaving town. Our favorite Sunday morning choice, Fork & Spoon, had a 45 minute wait, so we decided to head over to Ihop across the street. A warm breakfast was exactly what everyone needed. Vivie ate cupcake pancakes that she said tasted like birthday cake; Volans and I might have ordered chocolate chips in our pancakes as well, but nobody can prove it.
Thank you everyone for making the weekend so much fun, and for being such good sports about the chilly weather. This has always been one of my favorite weekends of the year, and this year lived up to those high expectations. I can't believe this was the 10th time I julied this annual trip!!!
.....and the best news is next year's campsites should only be $20 a night since we will be going before Easter. That is HALF-PRICE fun!!! Tentative dates for next year: April 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2019!!!
Attachments
- First Name
- Marci
THANKS for owning this great CHUM get-together for all these years and for your enthusiasm!
Heidi Ho
CHUM Fan
- First Name
- Holly
Well, I finally got my pictures uploaded. It's funny, at the time, it felt like I was snapping away but apparently not. The only picture I have of Diver_T is .... well, you'll just have to go look to see it for yourself.
It was great to see Volans and his cutie pie daughter Vivie again this year - she's a cutie and a smartie and was a wonderful presence. So welcome back to them and to our first timer, Richard - man, he knows how to do it. Showing up in his rented camper .... way to go. It was cold but the friendships, stories and people made us all feel toasty warm inside. And IHOP breakfast worked just fine even though we had to be split into two tables. I got some quality time in with Diver-T - shoulda taken her pic! hahahahaha
Thanks again Siren and 24% for being our CHUM Comal Captains and Cheerleaders - I really do look forward to this trip each year and am so grateful that even after all this time, you're still enthusiastic about it. If anyone else has any pictures, please do add them.
Oh, and for the record, I did NOT bring tiny weiners, they were bratwurst.
It was great to see Volans and his cutie pie daughter Vivie again this year - she's a cutie and a smartie and was a wonderful presence. So welcome back to them and to our first timer, Richard - man, he knows how to do it. Showing up in his rented camper .... way to go. It was cold but the friendships, stories and people made us all feel toasty warm inside. And IHOP breakfast worked just fine even though we had to be split into two tables. I got some quality time in with Diver-T - shoulda taken her pic! hahahahaha
Thanks again Siren and 24% for being our CHUM Comal Captains and Cheerleaders - I really do look forward to this trip each year and am so grateful that even after all this time, you're still enthusiastic about it. If anyone else has any pictures, please do add them.
Oh, and for the record, I did NOT bring tiny weiners, they were bratwurst.